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Dramatic aging trend by 2050, warns UN report

In ten years’ time there will be over a billion people worldwide over the age of sixty, says a UN report. It also states that developing countries will face a dramatic demographic change they are ill prepared for.

The report "Ageing in the Twenty-First Century," published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the non-governmental organisation HelpAge International on Monday to coincide with International Day of Older Persons, warns of a dramatic shift and strains on welfare and medical services.

It states that rising life expectancies will accelerate senior citizen numbers faster than any other statistical age group in the make-up of populations.

In the next ten years, it predicts, the number of elderly people worldwide will swell by 200 million taking the count beyond one billion people.

The report predicts that by 2050 senior persons 60 years and over will make up more than 80 percent of the population in developing countries. Currently, two out of three senior persons live in poorer, developing countries.

And, by 2050, the report says, there will be more people over the age of sixty than under the age of 15.